The Chief Justice of the United States (Supreme Court) presides over the Senate trial of the President. In his (or her) absence, the most senior Associate Justice presides. The Chief Justice is currently John G. Roberts, Jr.
For more information, see Related Questions, below.
Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase presided over the Senate removal trial of President Andrew Johnson in 1868. The House of Representatives had charged Johnson with ten individual articles of impeachment alleging he'd committed "high crimes and misdemeanors" in office.
The primary complaint was Johnson's violation of the Tenure of Office Act by improperly dismissing from office of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, and appointing a replacement without the required advice and consent of the Senate. He was also accused of four counts of conspiracy and various other charges. The House passed the impeachment resolution by an overwhelming vote of 126-47.
Before Johnson could be removed from office, however, he had to be found guilty in a removal trial conducted in the Senate. When the President of the United States is on trial, the Chief Justice of the United States (Supreme Court) presides over the trial. Under ordinary circumstances, this duty is handled by the Vice-President.
Johnson was acquitted of his crimes 35-19, just one vote shy of the number needed for removal.
Chief Justice William Hubbs Rehnquist (October 1, 1924 - September 3, 2005).
The Chief Justice would not preside over the US Supreme Court if he (or she) recuses himself from a case; is sick or otherwise disabled; is engaged in a Presidential impeachment trial; or is on trial in the Senate himself. In the absence of the Chief Justice, the Senior Associate Justice (the justice who has served on the Supreme Court longest) would take responsibility for the Court.
The Vice-President does not preside at an impeachment of a President. The Constitution requires that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court preside over an impeachment trial.
This is the person better known as the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice is the leader of the court (the other justices are known as Associate Justices); the Chief Justice presides over hearings and sets the agenda for the business conducted by the Supreme Court. If there were an impeachment, the Chief Justice would preside over the trial in the Senate. The current Supreme Court Chief Justice is John Roberts.
He has nothing to do with the impeachment trials. It is the House and then the Senate with the Chief Justice as the judge.
The VP does not preside because in the presidential line of succession if the President was removed, the VP would fill the role as president, meaning that the VP has enough motive to see the President removed from office.
If the Senate tries the Chief Justice, it would follow the procedure used in most impeachment trials. The presiding officer of the Senate or an appointed "Impeachment Trial Committee" would preside, or act as judge, and the other Senators would serve as the jury.This procedure is used for the removal trial of allofficials except the US President, and became legal practice in 1986 when the Senate amended its rules and procedures for impeachment trials. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court only presides over the impeachment trial of a US President.
Third Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth administered the Oath of Office to the United States' second President, John Adams, on March 4, 1797.
The Presiding Officer of the Senate, presides over non-presidential impeachment cases. Generally that is the Vice President of the United States. In his/her absence or if the Vice President has a conflict of interest, then it is the President pro tempore of the Senate. The Senate may also appoint some other Senator to serve as the Presiding Officer. The US Constitution requires the Chief Justice of the United States to preside only in presidential impeachment trials.
As President of the Senate, the U.S. Vice President presides over most impeachment trials. However, Article I, Section 3, Clause 6 of the U.S. Constitution specifies that when the President is on trial the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides. And although the Constitution doesn't say, I assume that would also be the case if the Vice President were the defendant in an impeachment trial (an incumbent U.S. Vice President has never been impeached to date).
when the president of the united states is tried, the chief justice shall preside
The head of a state supreme court is called Chief Justice, just like the head of the US Supreme Court.
The sixth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was Ohio native Salmon P. Chase, who lead the Court from December 1864 until his death in May 1873.Chase had the unique distinction of being the first Chief Justice to preside over a presidential Senate impeachment trial when Andrew Johnson was impeached for violating the Tenure of Office Act in in 1868. Johnson was acquitted by a single vote.